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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: do137 on Saturday 11 March 17 17:30 GMT (UK)

Title: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: do137 on Saturday 11 March 17 17:30 GMT (UK)

i am trying to find Casualty/medical records for an officer during October 1914.

Major G G P Humphreys of the 127th Baluchi.
he was injured at  Hollebeke on the 31st October 1914, he would have been evacuated then died of his wounds.

I would have thought there may have been some records of this happening? would any one please be able to help.
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: jim1 on Saturday 11 March 17 17:50 GMT (UK)
Unfortunately TNA only have their war diary for 1917 so any previous don't exist at least in the UK.
Are you sure he was in the 127th. & not the 129th.?
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: jim1 on Saturday 11 March 17 18:35 GMT (UK)
Not much but here it is. p.11-15
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01joj/
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: do137 on Saturday 11 March 17 20:21 GMT (UK)
Jim1 many thanks, i have been studying this book, i have looked in war diary's to try and confirm him mentioned as a casualty, but as you have confirmed the ambulance stations may not have kept such records so early on.
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: jim1 on Saturday 11 March 17 21:45 GMT (UK)
What you need is his Battalion war diary which isn't held by TNA who have them.
The RAMC diaries do exist but won't mention him by name.
If you're looking for "Major Humphreys was brought in with shrapnel wounds to chest & arm & died on the operating table" or some such you won't find it because it will never have existed.
As you know where, when & how he died there's not much left.
You've probably seen this map before however I've put in where he was.
Just before the Germans advanced Major Humphreys was organising trench digging North of the Chateau. He was ordered up to the centre section which was a weak point as the Germans were attacking this position.
Here he fell to artillery fire.
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: jim1 on Sunday 12 March 17 23:58 GMT (UK)
OK confusion over (previous map is actually upside down which threw me out). I've looked at the Brigade diary and it provides a better map.
The 129th. Baluchis had been pushed back as the Germans had taken Hollebeke & the Chateau where they had been 2 days earlier.
The Baluchis were going to attack the German positions on the 31st. but the Germans had brought up reinforcements including heavy artillery.
The Brigades FA was 2/Cavalry Div. FA & their diary entry for the 29th-31st. is below.
Their FA was just N.W. of St. Eloi.
The war diary for the 129th. covering this period is at TNA. Downloadable for £3.45:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7356083
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: barryd on Monday 13 March 17 02:12 GMT (UK)
Google has a few articles about him.

https://www.google.com/#q=%22Major+G+G+P+Humphreys%22&*
Title: Re: casualty record for an Officer during October 1914 - Help required
Post by: do137 on Monday 03 April 17 18:15 BST (UK)
Apologies for the delay, many thanks on all the info,